Kevin Roberts has left his post as Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive barely halfway through a three-year contract.
The national governing body said it had parted company with Roberts and replaced him on an interim basis with Nick Hockley.
Hockley is chief executive of Australia's local organising committee for the T20 World Cup, a tournament the country is due to host in October and November and is in major doubt due to the coronavirus crisis.
CA chairman Earl Eddings said: "Cricket, like all national sports, has been going through a period of significant change and – in recent months we have had the added uncertainty delivered by COVID-19.
"The entire cricket community has been affected and difficult decisions have been – and will continue to be necessary – to ensure that cricket at every level is in the best shape it can be now and in the future."
Eddings said CA would be "continuing on with our restructure programme" on Wednesday but would not discuss the prospect of redundancies "out of respect" for staff.
Roberts spent 20 months in post before leaving the role. CA stated on its website Roberts had resigned, while Eddings said he had personally "made these changes today".
As Hockley began his tenure, he said: "Whilst it's been an unsettling time, it is an absolute privilege to be asked to take on this role, even on an interim basis.
"It is without doubt one of the great jobs in Australian sport and with that comes an enormous responsibility to the organisation and to the broader game."
The pandemic has hit Australian sport hard, with a number of international matches played behind closed doors or cancelled, while the Sheffield Shield campaign had to be curtailed.
There is now the danger of the T20 World Cup being cancelled or postponed, either of which would be a further major blow.
Hockley suggested there may be brighter times around the corner, however, saying: "I really see one of my priorities to help the board provide really clear direction as we move forward to what we hope is a fantastic summer."